The federal government announced a $4 million fund to provide emergency grants to those who suffer financial difficulty as a result of the equine influenza (EI) outbreak, Australian News Agency AAP reported. The Sydney Spring Carnival has been cancelled after eight racehorses from the Randwick stable of trainer Anthony Cummings tested positive for EI. "This is a time of extraordinary hardship," Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said when announcing the fund. "These will be grants of up to $1,500 for people who have got emergency financial commitments that can't be catered for because of the national standstill as a result of equine influenza." "The money will be administered by peak bodies. In NSW some $2.5 million by Racing NSW, in Queensland a total of $1.5 million by Queensland Racing." The grants will be available to individuals within the racing industry as well as non-racing, horse-dependent employees and business owners. "Those within the racing industry will include everybody who is in a professional capacity," Mr McGauran said. "In regard to those in the non-racing industry, it will go to those whose livelihoods depend on their activities. It might be riding schools, horse-drawn carriages, trail riding, horse transport operators and so on. "We're looking to assist people in the short term over this unexpected financial crisis. "We want to measure the extent of the loss. We now know that in NSW and Queensland the ban on horse movement and therefore the curtailing of peoples' capacity to earn income will continue indefinitely. "A great many of them are in suspended animation, they just don't know what the future holds. What we do know is the ban on horse movement and therefore the abolishing of their capacity to work will continue for a long while yet." The outbreak has infected 488 horses on 41 properties across NSW, with another 1,646 horses suspected of having EI at other locations. Australian Workers' Union NSW secretary Ross Collison welcomed the emergency grants but said it would be a "wait and see" situation as to whether the fund needs to be increased. "I believe it was essential for them to do it and I'm pleased to see they've moved on it fairly quickly," Mr Collison told AAP. "As far as the $4 million, I think what we've got to do is monitor that. "As long as the government understands that there's a lot people affected, let's wait and see how many of the people in the industry will be making claims and if that needs to be supplemented by further finance." Mr Collison said the people in the industry were not lazy and those with transferable skills would quickly find other work while racing remained at a standstill. "But there's a lot of people obviously not in that position. It's the only industry they know, that's the only skills they've got and we'll just have to wait and see," he said. Mr McGauran said the federal government would consider further assistance "on the basis of need".
